World's Best Countertop Appliance

The only kitchen appliance worthy of my architect’s clutter-free counter? The Zojirushi Induction Heat rice cooker. There are rice cookers, and then there are rice cookers. When the Zojirushi Induction Heat rice cooker first came out about five years ago, a friend of mine had her husband bring one back from his Hong Kong business trip. Fortunately, I have a loyal brother who lives in Hong Kong and is not inclined to deny the wishes of his older sister, so on his next trip to London the rice cooker was mine. Above: Rice is the staple food of Asia, and a rice cooker is a common household appliance. Image via Sugar and Rice and Everything Spice . Above: The Zojirushi NP-HBC10 features evenly distributed induction heating, which is essential for perfectly cooked rice; $279.29 from Amazon. Above: With the help of micro computer technology, cooking can be timed; thanks to The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook, by Beth Hensberger and Julie Kaufman, I often cook an entire meal in my Zojirushi. N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on July 10, 2012.